view from the sidelines: Lake fishing better

Lake fishing better

Kevin Messer from Conconully Lake Resort called to say fishing has been great.

He’s seen rainbows up to 20 inches, but most are averaging 16 to 18 inches.

The kokanee are averaging 14- to 16-inches.

People are using Power Bait or yellow marshmallows and Pautzke’s eggs, Messer said.

Trolling and still fishing are about even for success, he said.

Those fishing from the docks are doing “quite well,” Messer said.

The report on the upper lake comes on the heels of the state releasing creek checks on 98 state lakes, where anglers averaged 4.6 trout on opening day, April 27.

“We saw a lot of limits caught at lakes around the state and many anglers happy with the large trout,” said Chris Donley, state Fish and Wildlife’s Inland Fish program manager. “Late morning and early afternoon windy weather blew folks off of some waters, but not before they caught lots of fish.”

For most lakes, the daily limit is five fish.

Donley said the 4,076 anglers contacted by the state on opening day retained an average of 2.8 trout – up from 2.3 fish in recent years. The rest of the fish were released.

Donley said one reason for the higher retention rate may be that 2.2 million of the “catchable-size” trout Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife planted before the opener averaged 10-12 inches – about a third larger than in the past. Many lakes were also stocked with thousands of triploids, broodstock and other large trout weighing up to 11 pounds apiece.

The largest fish caught and recorded included a 24.5-inch rainbow trout at Vance Creek Pond No. 2 (Lake Inez) in Grays Harbor County, and a 24-inch rainbow at Lincoln County’s Fishtrap Lake.

The Conconully Reservoir was listed as ninth best in the state with a 4.3 fish average.

Other lakes checked opening day and fish kept include Alta, 35 anglers, 2.6 kept per angler; Conconully Lake 46 with 2.2; Fish 35 with 2.1; and Pearrygin 23 with 3.8.

Donley reminds anglers that opening weekend was just the beginning of five to six months of good fishing, especially through June and then again in September and October for some lakes.

An open 5-on-5 basketball tournament with 10-man rosters is being planned for Friday, Sept. 6, at Paschal Sherman and Omak Community Center.

Games will be played at the two gyms, with an expected 16 teams competing in a round-robin tournament for money.

The games will be officiated by members of the Washington Officials Association.

High school rules apply.

Entry fees, which are $350 per team, are due by Aug. 20.

Teams are guaranteed four games.

Shane Proctor, a Lake Roosevelt High School graduate now living in Mooresville, N.C., dipped to No. 2 in the Professional Bull Riders standings.

He failed to make a qualified ride at a PBR stop in Nampa, Idaho, from April 26-27.

Silvano Alves, who finished third at the show, moved into the No. 1 spot with 5,872.66 points.

Proctor has 5,199.37 points.

Alves is attempting to become the PBR’s first competitor to win three consecutive world titles.

Proctor won the world bullriding championship in 2011 at the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Finals in Las Vegas, Nev.

Bob Tallman, who has announced at the Omak Stampede and has been an eight-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Announcer of the Year, has opted to remove himself from consideration for the 2013 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo to focus on other endeavors.